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Signs of Deception 133

If you are not convinced about the merits of non-verbal communication, you are strongly ad-
vised to visit the website of Center for Nonverbal Studies (CNS) which is a private, non-profit
research centre located in Spokane, Washington, and La Jolla, California. Underway since 1
October, 1997, the Center’s mission is to advance the study of human communication in all its
forms apart from language. The Center’s goal is to promote the scientific study of non-verbal
communication, which includes body movement, gesture, facial expression, adornment and
fashion, architecture, mass media, and consumer-product design. On 12 January, 1999, CNS
affiliated with the Center for Ethnographic Research (CER) at the University of Missouri in
Kansas City.

The liar is well aware that subconsciously he is throwing away non-verbal clues and will try
to disguise or consciously control them. This is virtually impossible and, if he knows you have
noticed his struggle, it will increase his anxiety until it becomes a self-defeating spiral.

ATTITUDE

The subject’s attitude, which is communicated mainly in the content, also reveals important
clues to deception (see Table 4.10 and Mind Map 9).

Table 4.10 Clues in the attitude

Symptoms of deception Examples Significance
CONSCIOUS, unconscious or 10 = High
both 0 = Low

Absence of values

The liar is usually focused on short-term goals and 8
may find difficulty distinguishing right from wrong,
having few values or principles to guide him
He may consider himself ‘above the law’
Business liars seldom show remorse (until they are
exposed)

Attitude to dishonesty and the matter in question

Non-judgemental of himself President Nixon ‘dissembled the truth’
President Clinton’s relationship with Monica was
‘inappropriate’ 10
Clinton smoked pot, but ‘did not inhale’

Minimizes the seriousness of the Tends to minimize their seriousness, 8
matters in issue subconsciously reducing his anxiety
Failure to deny
Failure to become angry
Contrived submission
Contrived flattery

Unjustifiably passive Quietly accepts statements such as: ‘I am not 10
Defers to interruptions interested in that, Bill’
Avoidance of hard words Like an alcoholic, the guilty person will usually
minimize the seriousness of the problem, and will
not use words like ‘theft’, ‘fraud’, ‘steal’ etc.